Steven Pinker - The Language of Swearing (1/2)

[DrFruedienslip]

Swearing just becomes contagiously accepted because persons dont know how to develop any linguistical merits.



[DrFruedienslip]

Laws dont do anything but implie any control, who wants to be controlled when there is no moral basis within any law unless one is being defined.

[i2v2s]

All is behavior and the rest is naught. Our culture conditions ignorant behavior time and time again, but language is just Verbal Behavior. People articulate sounds, which form words that perpetuate consequences. Many people learn to speak, they have unique experiences with every sound they make and each utterance has unique consequences and this has a unique cumulative effect, which shapes verbal behavior. Words are only taboo because of the consequences (natural selection).

[i2v2s]

It is more complicated then that, but Verbal Behavior explains language and although Pinker is more entertaining and reinforces more cultural assumptions then science, he will never understand language. He will never understand behavior is relative and meaning means nothing. Words are sounds and they have effects based on our learning.

[i2v2s]

To understand human behavior people must read Verbal Behavior and other scientific documents of B.F. Skinner and avoid superstitious nonsense added to the observations Pinker makes.

[intercourseman69]

@tomsega

Your reasoning is fuck.

[PsychologyReaders]

Very intelligent man!

[SonyLeena]

I love this man! 

[firebreathone3]

Such a brilliant guy!

[Jestlow]

I had a much easier time identifying the correct color of the cuss words that I did when the colors were the wrong colors.

[vlcgo]

Good thing showing the slides

[epicchessisepicfail]

X_Magneto is a stupid faggot. He sucks KC's and passwurdz balls.

[trnstlntcsnnt301]

What a brilliant guy.

[ZachRose88]

Pinker is a genius. He has so much knowledge to share it's incredible.

[itsmemangify]

Taboo concepts strike negative emotions in people when the concept is threatening, disgusting, dreadful, revulsive. The need to be accepted by peers is .

[itsmemangify]

Taboos strike negative emotion due to the human need to be accepted by people. If people have a need to be accepted by their peers then acting improperly or unacceptably surely is taboo.

[thetwentyfourth]

No word is objectively taboo. In order for any word to be taboo we must learn it to be, usually through parental or educational negative reinforcement. THIS is the origin of the negative emotion experienced when hearing the word. The negative emotion you felt when your mother yelled at you for swearing as a child, for instance.

We can change our relationship with words intellectually. Anyone who maintains a word's power to victimize them is practically victimizing themselves.

[TheSuperFungus]

if 'nigger' is so offensive, why do dark skinned people use it affectionately towards friends etc. A light skinned person says it and all hell breaks loose even if it wasn't directed as an insult.

Please explain!

[darkmiles22]

@TheSuperFungus I would think it is partly a coping mechanism, an attempt to claim a power or right that is denied to outsiders. Self-derision can produce a wry humor and a camaraderie among a group that shares the trait.

I suspect "nigger" is also often intended to provoke negative emotion as a means of pumping people up into a bloodlust, making the audience feel powerful emotions that breach habitual politeness and alerting the audience to impending violence.

[UtopiaMinor666]

FUCK THE FCC i hate those assholes!

[MrPrankmastergeneral]

@UtopiaMinor666 I am disgusted!

Just kiddin' !

[deathlogic1]

i am a fan of swearing for the simply reason that we as people give means to the words we use. that brings me to the question, why are there taboo words? what make them taboo the first place? over time, the meaning of words changes and as we use "taboo" words, they become desensitized and deluded, giving it a different meaning all together.

[LifeIsABigPuzzle]

Some people swear because they are angry. Some people just swear because it is commonplace. But when you swear, you might be offending someone who you never intended to.

[AlimeProductions]

"Shit piss cunt sucker mother fucker tits fuck turd and twat!" A song by Blink-182.

[GhettoBoi619]

@AlimeProductions dont forget about george carlin

[nothingnesswithouten]

Listening to this talk was like drinking from a cursed chalice.

[razrx33]

Is the Stroop Test supposed to work for everyone? Because that was really easy... I don't think it was any harder to read any of the 3 lists.

Honest question

[Birdinthehand1000]

What is the basis to any moral assumption ?



[macoleman7402]

i like to swear...boob damn fart...there told you so....btw i kill niggers by the truckload

[cnestudy1]

he is racist

[Tanfeliz]

@cnestudy1 In what way?

[cnestudy1]

@Tanfeliz he said the n word. i assume your racist too huh?

[Tanfeliz]

@cnestudy1 This from someone who posts comments like "white girls are bitches." LOL

[cnestudy1]

@Tanfeliz thats not racist thats the truth

[Tanfeliz]

@cnestudy1 So if college professors discuss why people use bad language, and examine specific bad words, they are racists. But if you call everyone within a certain race and gender a bad name, it's because you are awesome? Wow. Good luck with life, you're going to need it.

[cnestudy1]

@Tanfeliz i dont need luck i got God on my side. faggot

[Tanfeliz]

@cnestudy1 I'm a female, and you're obviously a rocket surgeon.

[LBRTRN89]

@cnestudy1 using your logic the censorship you are trying to impose on academia is similar to that which Hitler tried to impose. Therefore you must hate Jews. Ridiculous yes! that is how ridiculous you sound.

[cnestudy1]

@LBRTRN89 oooh i see what u saying. i sounded so dumb

[GohModley]

How about "Jesus Titty-Fucking Christ!"

[peacewalker7]

To slander and smearing conservativism. True conservatives are not slandered/ mocked, but these referenced neocon's are not true conservatives, who don't give a f--king sh-t about such words. They care about when words used to abuse or slander another. They care about honor and dignity. They also care about the meaning of words not being drained. True cons don't care at least so much about occasional nonhostile "spice" word. There are bigger battles to wage in life. in my opinion :) Praise Yah!

[Sepero1]

He's white and said "nigger", therefore he must be racist.

[mightyafrowhitey]

@Sepero1 please tell me that was a joke...

[IggyHazard]

There's a way around that eye-word trick. Unfocus your eyes and concentrate only on color.

[fairiebee]

@IggyHazard I actually don't have the issue with the eye trick. I have read aloud for paragraphs before and then realized I had been thinking of something else, actually. Do you ever do that? It's an interesting test though. I've always wondered about the force of expletives and where that comes from psychologically. Interestingly, when apes, who know how to sign, get angry, they repeatedly do the sign for "poo".

[IggyHazard]

@fairiebee That's funny! XD Some things are universal.

[howzitman]

@IggyHazard

Easier said than done, takes a bit of practice.

[IggyHazard]

@howzitman Correct. It's kinda fun.

[cnestudy1]

steven better chill.....he know he can't say nigger. racist ass lmao

[mightyafrowhitey]

@cnestudy1 are you serious?

[beforeiknow]

cool, so that's Harvard!

[jeffandscottvideos1]

I didt get a word of what he said all i got was "blah blah blah fuck blah blah blah bitch blah blah asshole blah blah dick blah blah hell blah blah son of a bitch blah blah mother fucking cock sucker blah blah justin bieber fucked your dad last night....

[Christheatheist1]

Pinker is fucking brilliant!

[Skindoggiedog]

Interesting stuff, but I can't stand the way this guy speaks.

[FeelOfFriction]

Why is every single comment page on every single video a dumbass argument?

[kuapo]

@FeelOfFriction Because insecurity often drives people to identify themselves (or 'cling to') a certain belief, who then go on to defend that belief to the death, because the end or weakening of that belief would mean the end of that identity.

And if you tied your self, your being, completely to a certain identity, you know what the end of that identity would mean, right?

So these people HAVE to be right, or they'll die.

Well... at least feel like dying. ;)

[derman077]

@kuapo Hey. Thank you. That was well said. I often try to explain this to people but have gotten lost in translation, Your articulation is clear and concise. I will share it.

[christo930]

This kind of idiotic research is what is driving the cost of education through the roof.

[newcoyote]

@christo930 Why? I'd really like to hear you substantiate that assertion. Tell me why understanding how people communicate, learn and think is a waste of money as you imply.

[christo930]

@newcoyote This isn't about any of that, it's about why humans curse. Not to mention that no student would voluntarily support this research with their tuition dollars. Kids are graduating from college many 10's of thousands of dollars in debt to support this shit.

[newcoyote]

@christo930 Well then you have not considered it on any more than a superficial level then. Swearing is integral to our language our identity and history. Are you suggesting swearing is NOT a form of communicating? Things tie together in many ways we might not think of at first glace. Understanding our nature and ALL aspects of it is crucial. Omitting an integral faset because it is unsavory or financially questionable is absurd. Continued...

[newcoyote]

@christo930...continued. I don't think you have any clue about research, eduction or psychology. Referring to it as shit only demonstrates this. As well asserting " no student would voluntarily support" is absurd. How do you know? Pinker is world renowned and I'm pretty sure his students have a good idea what they are paying for.

[christo930]

@newcoyote This research is made possible only by the gov co-signing student loans. I am far more concerned with students graduating from school with a mortgage (and no house) to finance research that someone else ought to be paying for. My nephew (for example) is paying 25k a year to attend a state college and sits in lecture halls with 700 other students and is going to graduate with 100k worth of debt to finance this stuff. If it's important enough, they can get other funding sources.

[christo930]

@newcoyote Without the gov co-signing his loans, nobody would ever lend him 10k, let alone 100k (and it will be more since he wants a masters). The focus of our universities has gone from teaching to research and our kids are paying for it with higher education costs and lower quality education. So, NO, I don't think kids should be taking on 6 figure debts so this kind of research can be funded on their money.

[newcoyote]

@christo930 Sorry your vision is so short.

[EpigeneticEngineer]

@christo930 I'm sorry, but you are not correct. Universities do not fund this kind of research. In fact, universities fund virtually no research. Research money comes primarily from government sources unconnected to the university or private philanthropic agencies that dole out money for research. The only research paid for by universities is when a new faculty member is hired and receives "st

[EpigeneticEngineer]

@EpigeneticEngineer art up" funds, which are usually funded by grants to the university. I'm sorry, but tuition does not go to fund research, and if you can find a university that does fund research, there are many many scientists who would be willing to move to that university, because as it stands right now, most researchers who run a lab spend the majority (in fact, the overwhelming majority) of their time writing grants to obtain funding.

[derman077]

@EpigeneticEngineer Tell me more about these private philanthropic agencies.

[christo930]

@Aletheophile What can I tell you? If you don't mind going into debt for 100k to finance this stuff, you are kind of a lost cause. Have you even bothered to calculate the amount of money these loans are actually going to cost you? If research needs to be done, there are better and more efficient ways to finance it than through our young people.

[Aletheophile]

@christo930 £100,000? erm, no, its nothing like that much. For an English student to attend a Scottish university is £1,820 annually I can't find exact figures but I remember and English university is about £3,000, and if I was actually Scottish it would be FREE granted the American ones look a bit more expensive, but even there only the most expensive private institutions are in the price range you are describing. And again what exactly is idiotic about this research?

[christo930]

@Aletheophile My nephew is in state college and it is costing 25k a year. I went to college a long time ago, so I am using his costs. State college isn't exactly Ivy League, so 25k isn't a real high estimate. This research should be paid for, if at all, by psychiatric hospitals, American psychiatric association and other groups and trade groups that benefit from language research. Given the current state of psychiatric treatment, I would say there is more important research to be done.

[christo930]

@christo930 Pretty much any research can be justified, especially to increase knowledge about man and how our brains work, but the bigger questions should be answered first and there are ethical questions about who should pay for it. Universities are able to run huge research programs because the gov allows kids to bid up the cost of education when technology and economies of scale should be driving the cost DOWN!

[christo930]

@christo930 Pretty much any research can be justified, especially to increase knowledge about man and how our brains work, but the bigger questions should be answered first and there are ethical questions about who should pay for it. Universities are able to run huge research programs because the gov allows kids to bid up the cost of education when technology and economies of scale should be driving the cost DOWN!

[Rammbock]

@christo930 haha.... yap!

[Peterlisinski]

Appendix to the questionnaire.

Feel free to answer more than one alternative if you think the words meaning differs dependent on the context. Do you think that people in general agree on these contextual differences? Yes or no?

[Peterlisinski]

Hello, I am conducting some research for a small linguistic essay concerning the meaning of the internet word LOL. I would be very grateful if you would quickly answer the questions below about how you use and interpret the word.

Does it mean?

A: To actually laugh out loud.

B: To express mild amusement.

C: To express large amusement.

D: To express appreciation.

E: None of the above (if so please specify the actual meaning).

[Aletheophile]

@Peterlisinski B

[hammam0]

Secretary : minister,there's someone here wants to see you.

Minister : not now love,im busy,fuck off...

[furQ]

<3 steven pinker

[mares2929]

was it just me that couldn't see the conclusion of this talk! was it similar to what freud said about how you find rude jokes funny if you are repressed about that particular rude thing? somebody tell me for fuck's sake!

[OddBank]

stroop test was cool.

[NavinJohnson90]

Aaaaaaggghhhhh stopppp my head is gonna explode!!!!!

[NavinJohnson90]

hahahaha George Carlin!!

People who act like their ears bleed when they hear swearwords make me just wanna shout FUCK at them all day.

[19Alexx95]

Lol same here navin :3

[Thrashaero]

@NavinJohnson90

No shit. those mother fuckers. I can understand being annoyed by it after a fuckin while, though. But when people just say fuck or shit and others freak out like it's personally offensive, I say to them, shut the fuck up and cry me a fucking river, pussy.

I also find it funny that the right-winger douchebag's biggest defense is if he ever catches you swearing. Then he tries to derail the focus on his bullshit and whine about your decency.

[CarbonSuit]

those down ratings are very ironic considering the conclusions pinker reaches in this talk.

[dollaresque]

@GARfredable Go kiss cow's cunt.

[ronaldonacid]

Fuck anyone who doesn't like the way I talk.

[steampunk18]

Well, fuck you, too!

[Gilmaris]

What does that mean, anyway, "by inserting '(a)' before 'Whoever'"? Some sort of legal language I'm not familiar with?

[nemesisnick66]

fk teh fcc

[dubblewalker]

Lovely bit there on how Pinker narrows in to express the exact emotions specific profanities aim to evoke. I feel a little more educated about my verbal weaponry after having watched this.

[grooviant]

At 1:30, it gets eerily similar to Carlin's 7 words, although you can say 'prick' on TV, as well as 'suck'. Can pricksucker be far behind?

[kionay]

yes well we all remember that

and how as mother fucker is a derivitave of fuck, it is condemed to be off THAT particular list

however their exclusion of the adverb is pretty funny in and of itself

[nijaexhile3]

Canadians spell it colour as well. Probably as does the rest of the english speaking world if I had to guess.

What you didn't know? Your country at some point just decided to spell a bunch of shit different then the rest of the world for some reason.

And say Zzzzeeeeeee

[CamdenBloke]

Both spellings are correct.

[CamdenBloke]

I didn't slow down reading the colours of the swear words at all. For the colours of the colour words however, I could only maintain any speed by focusing on only the first letter of each word, but then the green coloured green tripped me up.

[JusticeRightsFreedom]

un-true, That theory has been proved wrong for a long time the "Fornication Under Command of the King" that is, It actually comes from the german word fricken which means 'to strike or attack'

[Jardinami]

Fornication Under Command of the King. That is where the word began. In the movie Brave Heart they show an excellent example of what was done to the poor women of the time.

[totallyspies1000]

In many cultures, swearing consists of insults to one's mother, and charges that she is unchaste and that you are not really your father's child.

[Freedom9531]

steven is fucking briliant!

[kleei2]

*****

awesome video

[Iambecome]

Lol at 2.08, that's class.

I heard it before, saw him give a version of this speech before.

Though he never shows it, I sometimes wonder if Pinker gets bored giving these talks and would prefer to spend his time writing.